Egosoft Interactive FAQ

Steamworks is the underlying technology used by games that are distributed via Steam. It provides the Steam integration facilities, the copy protection element, and also community features such as statistics and achievements.

Steamworks also provides a means for games distributed on DVD to benefit from the other advantages of Steam, such as automatic updates and achievements. This allows game developers to create, maintain and support just a single version of the game, regardless of how it is distributed.

When you buy a DVD containing a Steamworks game, you will need to have a Steam account and have the Steam client installed in order to play it. You will not, however, need to download the entire game from Steam when you install.

Both X3: Albion Prelude and the forthcoming X Rebirth use Steamworks, as does the Steam version of X3: Terran Conflict.